


You feel some ineffable tugging at your innards.

by lineadecuatro (Maiucha)



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Blind Date, Dorian playing matchmaker, Dorian trying to help, F/F, Gen, Kinda, Possibly Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:30:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1214458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiucha/pseuds/lineadecuatro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I found someone that could fit your profile."</p>
            </blockquote>





	You feel some ineffable tugging at your innards.

**Author's Note:**

> This story belongs to the [Femslash February Trope Bingo](http://femtropebingo.tumblr.com), was inspired by the prompt "blind date" and was beta'd by Arianna (who helped me so much, simply out of her good spirit and passion for writing). Title from a Jerry Waxman quote.
> 
> Happy reading!

"I found someone that could fit your profile." 

Valerie turned around, expecting to see Dorian teasing John about his dating profile, but John wasn't there. Instead, she found Dorian looking down at her, a kind smile on his face. 

"My profile?" Valerie echoed, her tone cautious.

"Your online dating profile," Dorian clarified. His smile widening, he added, "I did one for you, too." His smile faltered at her evident surprise. "John agreed it was a good idea," he said, now sounding a bit worried.

"Did he?"

"Not in so many words…"

Intrigued, and wanting to put Dorian at ease, Valerie couldn't help smiling. "So, who replied?"

"It wasn't an actual reply," Dorian clarified, moving to sit in the chair by her desk. She was sure he was trying to be collegial, rather than loom over her in a way that some might find uncomfortable. "I was searching for compatibility with your profile and John's profile, and I found someone that I think might be a good fit for you," Dorian explained. Tilting his head, studying her, he went on, "I hope you don't mind. And you do get a lot of replies, though, if you're interested."

"I don't know; should I be?"

"For most of the replies, I'd discourage any further contact, but others might be worth considering."

"Might be worth considering…" Valerie murmured, intrigued, but shook her head. "I think I'll defer to your judgment and only look at those you consider a good match. Tell me more about the one that could fit my profile?"

"I could arrange a meeting, if you want."

"A meeting?" she replied, blinking in surprise; this was moving a bit fast. Certain that Dorian would never put her at risk, she thought he must be quite sure about the potential compatibility. "Online meet them or actual meet them?"

"A face to face meeting: I'd suggest a coffee shop, nothing pretentious and not a dinner date, at least not yet. Better to see what you think."

"Mhm," she pondered, giving Dorian a long look, curious about this mysterious person who might be a good match. "Very well," she agreed. "Set it up."

When Dorian seemed taken aback, blue lights shine on his check flashing, Valerie beamed at him. "You didn't think I'd say yes."

"Well, no," Dorian admitted with a smile. "John never does."

Laughing, not surprised that Kennex wasn't up for any new adventures, she stated, "I reserve the right to send you an emergency extract text or call and you must agree to come immediately to rescue me." She doubted there'd be any such need, as she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she enjoyed teasing the android. 

"Agreed."

"Oh, and don't tell John about the date," she said sternly. "I don't need to have him teasing me relentlessly."

Dorian sighed, evidently having hoped to use her as an example to his reluctant partner, to encourage John to give someone a chance. But also knowing John's propensity for teasing, he nodded knowingly. "Fine," he said, as he rose to his feet and returned Valerie's smile. 

"Send me the details: I have a free day at the start of next week."

*

Valerie walked towards the bakery Dorian had chosen for the blind date. She supposed she could have demanded more details but the mystery, the anticipation, appealed to her – and she fully trusted the android to have checked out the person, to sure they were no threat. Plus, he'd also agreed to call her ten minutes after the meeting time, to ensure that she was all right and that she didn't need an out.

Valerie was very fond of Dorian and enjoyed indulging his efforts to help his colleagues to be happy. He was different from anyone she'd ever known and certainly wasn't like the MXs. She could tell he wanted almost desperately to fit in, to be a friend, to have friends, to be … human. Synthetic components aside, she thought he was as human as any of them and a whole lot more human – in all the right ways – than many of those they caught and sent to prison. Perhaps, one day, she needed to tell him that. Smiling to herself, she knew she'd agreed to this 'date' as much to please him as out of curiosity to meet the person waiting for her. 

Stepping into the bakery, inhaling the delectable and comforting aromas of fresh bread and coffee, she looked around and approved of its old school and cozy ambiance. The place made her feel as if she'd stepped back in time, to the last century. She smiled at the vintage coffee makers at the front by the order counter. Dorian had chosen well – or maybe her unknown 'date' had suggested the place; if so, it was a point in their favor. 

"Miss Valerie?" the young, smiling worker behind the counter called in soft welcome, surprising her by knowing her name. 

"Yes," Valerie nodded.

"Your friend is already here; follow me please," the young woman said with a gesture as she moved from out behind the counter. 

Valerie fell in behind her as they moved further inside. Beyond the takeout counter at the front, there was a small tearoom with windows that looked out at a patio adorned with gardens and a bubbling fountain. She saw that they were walking toward tables by the window. A woman was sitting alone at one of them, with her back to the room. Valerie approved of her, appreciating the confidence to sit with one's back vulnerable to the room in order to enjoy the tranquil, beautiful view. The stranger was wearing a red blouse and with her hair up in a neat bun. Valerie looked away, around the small dining area, surprised to not see any lone men waiting. Looking back at the woman, she thought there was something familiar about her. 

"Your friend has arrived," the waitress called out, capturing the unknown woman's attention. She turned her head – 

And Valerie found herself face to face with her captain, Sandra Maldonado. 

Stunned, suddenly very unsure, Valerie stumbled to a halt. There is no way Dorian didn't know this, she thought as she stared at her boss, who was looking just as surprised as she was. 

"Are you sitting Miss Valerie?" the hosts asked uncertainly, looking from her to Sandra and back again, evidently having picked up on the sudden tension. 

"Of course," Valerie replied with a reassuring smile. She moved to the chair at the far side of the table, her back now to the lovely garden. She avoided her Captain's eyes as she sank down onto the chair. 

"Should I let you check the options or are you ready to order?" the hostess asked pleasantly, her manner gracious. Disconcerted, all Valerie could think was that the idea of a waitress, posing with a pen and an order pad, really was old-fashioned and very much in keeping with the tearoom’s archaic but charming atmosphere. 

"I'll have Earl Gray, with milk on the side," Maldonado said, sounding a bit strained and Valerie assumed Sandra was as startled as she was herself. What was Dorian up to? Why would he have set them up this way? Realizing the waitress was still waiting for her response, she said, "I'll have the same."

The girl nodded as she made a brief note and left with a smile.

"So what brings you here?" Maldonado asked, her tone dry though there was a slight smile on her lips and amusement danced in her eyes.

"You don't want to know," Valerie replied with a sigh. Whatever Sandra thought they were doing there, she was sure now that it wasn’t any kind of 'date'. Disappointment surged – in Dorian, that he'd set her up like this. When she'd seen the woman, and then recognized Sandra, she'd actually thought however briefly, that he'd been serious and had somehow sensed how much she would have liked it to have been real, regardless of how inappropriate it might have been to date her boss. 

"I was supposed to meet Dorian. He said he wanted to discuss some things outside work and asked if it was proper to do so. I agreed." Maldonado explained as she sat back in her chair, her shoulders relaxing. Thoughtfully, she added, "He cancelled five minutes ago, but suggested that if I was already in my regular bakery, I could drink something before leaving. I was tired enough to agree to that, too."

Even with all the new information to add, Valerie couldn’t help but focus on the last part. Knowing that Sandra liked this place, was a regular there, felt intimate and valuable, and made the whole thing worth it, even if it had shifted from 'date' to an encounter among coworkers.

Eventually, she realized that Sandra was waiting for her to explain how she had ended up there and to confirm that Dorian had had something to do with it. For a moment, Valerie thought that if she outed the android, he’d be reprimanded or worse. But Sandra didn't seem angry; there was even some amusement in her expression, so even if she followed up with Dorian to censure his what? Prank? Surely the punishment, if any, wouldn't be that bad. More likely, she’d simply explain to Dorian why setting them up this way was inappropriate. Reluctantly and avoiding Madonado's gaze, Valerie admitted, "Dorian set me up." 

"Set you up?" Maldonado asked, a frown creasing her brow.

Before Valerie could explain further, their tea arrived along with the waitress's good wishes for their enjoyment. Silence reigned between them while Sandra filled their delicate cups from the porcelain Victorian teapot. Not sure how to explain, Valerie lifted her cup and blew on the hot tea as she listened to the chatter and the soft music in the background, glad it muted some of the awkwardness of the situation. 

When Sandra simply waited for her question to be answered, Valerie finally confessed the truth. "I'm supposed to be on a date, I guess." Still avoiding Sandra's eyes, she looked over her shoulder at the garden, hoping its peacefulness would soothe her growing anger at having been placed in such an awkward position. But the sound of Sandra's spoon tapping the saucer drew her gaze back to her boss. 

Valerie saw a flash of compassion and perhaps something more in the clear gaze, before Sandra rolled her eyes and shook her head. "John is officially rubbing on him. I’d hoped it would be the other way around," she muttered. Shifting, evidently grasping for her own composure, Sandra asked as if truly curious, "Does Dorian frequently set you up on dates?" 

"No, no, I swear this is the first time," Valerie exclaimed with a small laugh.

"And last one as well?" Maldonado asked with a stiff smile and something like regret in her eyes before her gaze dropped away and she took refuge in a sip of tea. When she looked back up, she was honestly smiling, now appearing to be genuinely amused. 

Huh, that's curious, Valerie thought. She knew she was good at picking up nuances but couldn't afford to make a mistake, to be reading Sandra all wrong. Deciding to keep it light, but also keep it open, she replied as if with careful consideration but with an amused smile on her lips, "I don't know. I mean, you're not Richard," she added, deliberately using his first name to keep the conversation informal. When Sandra snorted, and emboldened by Sandra's amusement, Valerie decided to take a chance. "Actually, Dorian said he'd found someone he thought would be compatible. He's right; I've always enjoyed your company."

Maldonado tipped her head and smiled slowly. But then she looked out at the fountain and lifted her cup for another sip of tea. Valerie wondered if she'd gone too far but, before she could say anything else, her phone rang. Pulling it from her purse, she saw the precinct number flashing on the screen: no doubt Dorian was keeping his word and this was her chance to escape, if she wanted it. 

"Stahl," she replied, all business, just in case the call was work related; besides, it wouldn't hurt Dorian to wonder if her cool response signaled irritation. At the business-like tone, Sandra gave her a look of curiosity.

"Do I need to send a rescue car, Detective?" Dorian asked, sounding both smooth and somewhat amused. For a moment, Valerie wondered how she'd exact revenge on the bot; but then she smiled as she corrected herself: from the smartass friend. But she kept her tone cool as she replied, "No, thank you, that won't be necessary." She abruptly ended the call, to avoid any further questions or comments. She could deal with those later.

Maldonado was watching her, clearly curious but not pressing. 

"That was my rescue call," Valerie admitted.

"Rescue call?" Maldonado echoed, looking intrigued. "I didn't know that a rescue call was a possibility."

"Do you need one?" Valerie asked, her tone light but deliberately flirtatious. Then, once again fearing she may have gone too far, added, "Or want one?”

Maldonado studied her for a moment, her eyes bright, filling with amusement. "No," she said slowly, her smile lighting her face. "I'm okay, thanks."


End file.
